What To Know About Florida’s Divorce Timeline
Some of the most common questions we receive at our firm involve the duration of the divorce process. Spanning in length from as little as a month to over a year, how long a divorce takes to finalize depends on the nature of the case itself, including whether the divorce is contested or uncontested. Read on to learn more about the considerations that could affect the length of your own divorce proceedings.
Contested Divorce
In Florida, there are two main types of divorce: contested and uncontested. The divorce process timeline is largely dictated by which of these types of divorce a couple files for. A contested divorce occurs when two spouses cannot agree on one or more divorce-related issues, like alimony, property division, or child custody. These types of divorces tend to take the longest to resolve because the parties will need to engage in negotiation and mediation and perhaps, even in a trial. The timeline for a contested divorce can take anywhere from six months to several years, depending on the court’s schedule and the complexity of the couple’s disagreements.
Uncontested Divorce
Uncontested divorces, on the other hand, occur when the parties agree on all the major aspects of divorce and are able to come up with a settlement document memorializing that agreement in an out-of-court setting. This significantly speeds up the process of obtaining a divorce, as the couples aren’t required to attend multiple mediation sessions or take their case to court for a judge to resolve it. As a result, uncontested divorces are often finalized in as little as four to six weeks and, besides being less time-consuming, also tend to be less expensive and far less stressful for the parties involved.
Simplified Dissolution
A simplified dissolution is an even speedier form of divorce than uncontested proceedings, but it is only available to couples who can meet certain requirements. With a simplified divorce, couples can shorten the process of ending their marriage even more, with the parties able to finalize their proceedings in as little as a month. However, in order to file for a simplified divorce, a couple must not only agree on the terms of divorce, but must agree to forgo alimony, and can’t share any children or own significant assets.
Important Considerations
There are a lot of factors that go into determining the divorce process timeline, including:
- The level of agreement between the spouses on issues related to divorce;
- The complexity of the issues facing the couples, as more assets, more disagreement, and the presence of children can result in a longer process; and
- The court’s schedules, with availability for hearings and trials having a significant impact on how long it takes to obtain a divorce.
Understanding how these considerations apply in your own situation can give you a better idea of how long your divorce will take.
Call Today for Legal Advice
To learn more about the timeline of divorce in Florida, please call 954-945-7591 and set up a meeting with dedicated and compassionate Fort Lauderdale divorce lawyer Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. today.
Source:
floridabar.org/public/consumer/pamphlet010/
